Joint for electric cables



Aug. 4, 1936. F. c. MEYER ET AL 4 JOINT FOR ELECTRIC CABLES Fild Jan. 20, 1934 lill w..

@EEE Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PATE \ essaies Jouer non misurare canins ilpplieetlon el'anu:Jury 2d,

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the drawing accompanying application: 5;. is a longitudinal section tl rough. a u ade in accordance with this leven-rsiy the sec:a tion being teiten on the l-l -i su 2 is a section on the line 2m?! of il; and.

'l-le. .s is an enlarged sectional vleef oi? the situee ture of the joint where the cable is prout-llt into the joint casing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, i and t designate the adjacent ends of two sections oi pipe line in which the insulated unslieathed cable conductors are drawn. .et the adjacent ends of the pipe lines l and 2 we provide e barrier plate 3, each of these barrier plates being provided with thimbles the bore of each ci? which is slightly tapered. While these thirnbles are shown integral with the barrier plates they may be seperate therefrom, and as will understood each barrier plate provided with as many thirnbles as there are cable' conductors to be joined The cable conductors are designated 5. Each conductor is insulated with paper tape 6 on the exterior of which is applied a shielding tape l. In the manufacture of the cable a temporary lead sheath is applied about the insulation and shieldu ing tape of each conductor and on installing this sheath Is removed as the conductors are drawn into the pipe line except for short lengths 8 which are left in place on each conductor where the conductors come through the thimbies 4 and for ten or iteen feet to the rear oi these thimbles. About these short lengths of sheath we apply a fabric such as surgical webbing designated 8 which reinforces the sheath lengths and enables them to withstand the high pressure at which the oil in the joint and the pipe line is carried Aand whichmay be as high as two hundred pounds or more.

With the surgical webbing or tape l in place the cable conductor is jammed into the tapered loose in each o?? the tliiinbles practieally to prow vide a stop joint. The eefeie conductors as will he understood project through the tliiinbles ioi sorse distance, but the short lengths of lead are terminated at just fue iouu ward ends el the temibles, while .eh/bins terminates short ci the forward el t le thilnleles.

The adjacent ends oi the conductors enteritis the joint at opposite ends are brought together at the middle ci the joint and joined as shown at l l and than wrapped, with varnislied @emissie and paper it, a copper braid being applied finally about this insulstion. Esch enel 'ci t? forward terminal of eecli sheath length is i to the 'f thinibles e by a wipe joint iik the copper braid ill soldered to this wipe., The length t. fabric s and the wipe joint it as iv be preciated provides a liquid tient joint at the thimbles to prevent all irom passing :irene one side ci. the barrier plates Si to the other, exterior of the cable insulatltuip as will be appreciated, while permitting of seepage of oil from one ci the plates to the other through the cable insulation. The enclosing casing' l of the joint is slipped to 2 one side along the pipe line during tile process ci drawing in the cable conductors and making 'up the joint as will be understood,

At each end the enclosing casing it, which overlaps the barrier plates 3, is provided internailsT with an inwardly extending flange or an nulus it. Each barrier plate is oi the same diameter as the outside diameter el. the cable pipe line and is disposed concentric with the pipe line. Each plate is provided with a rearward er:w g5 tension Il extending outwardly oi the .ioint tof9 ward the end of the pipeline, these extensions. however, terminating short of the pipeline. The ilanses I6 of the joint casing, and which may be welded to the joint casing9 receive the extensions do of the barrier plates.

Surrounding each ot the pipe sections I and 2 and movable relatively thereto is a ring l8 con nected to the iianges I8 by bolts IS.

Intermediate the rings I8 and flanges I6 and surrounding the ends of the pipe sections i and 2 I as well as the rearwardly extending portions I1 ct the barrier plates 3 is a sleeve 20. and between the ends of each of these sleeves and the flanges I6 as well as the rings I8 we provide lead tipped gaskets 2|.

By drawing up the bolts I9 the pipe line sections I and 2, enclosing casing I5 and the barriers 3 are all united or coupled together liquid tight, such a Joint being capable of holding pressures as high 5l as those contemplated, which as mentioned may be two hundred pounds or more. It will be understood that this construction permits of a certain amount of settling of the pipe line and joint and expansion and contraction of the pipe line without causing the joint to leak, and without injuring the splice of the cable conductors.

.The pipe lines l and 2 are maintained filled with oil 22 under high pressure and the interior of the enclosing casing I of the joint also is maintained llecl with oil 23 under the same high pressure, for while the sheath lengths {,webbing 9 and the wipe joints i4 prevent the passage of oil through barrier plate thimbles, we provide at each end of the joint casing valve controlled pipes 24, one end of each of these pipes communicating with the interior of the joint casing the other end with the interior of the pipe line.

Each of the pipes 24 as will be seen from the drawing is bowed as shown at 25 to accommodate the same to relative movement between the casing of the joint and the pipe line. The pipes 24 are provided with shut-ofi valves 26 which may be either manual or automatic in operation.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that we have provided a joint structure for cable systems of the general type above referred to in which the conductors are iree to snake within the cable pipe, the latter being free to expand and contract clue to thermal conditions without detrimental effect on. the joint.

What rre claim isz- 1. A joint for high tension electric cables of the type in which the insulated cable conductors are laid in a pipe line filled with oil under high pressure in which the conductors and their insulation are submerged, said joint comprising in combination an enclosing casing secured liquid tight to the cable pipes, barrier plates within the casing, each barrier plate being provided with a rearward extension of the same outside diameter as the cable pipe line and disposed concentric therewith and secured liquid tight thereto, said barrier plates being provided with thimbles for receiving the conductors which are to be joined within said casing, that part of the insulation oi each conductor which passes through the thimblcs being provided with a soft metal impervious length of sheath, fabric about the sheath, the thimbles having a tight t on the fabric, a wipe joint uniting each sheath to its thimble, said construction resisting the ilow of oil from one side of the barrier plates to the other, oil within the joint casing, and valve controlled pipes, one end of each of which enters the joint casing at one side of the barrier plates and the other end the pipe line, thereby to maintain the oil within the joint casing at the same high pressure as the oil within the vpipe line.

2. A joint for high tension electric cables of the type in which the insulated cable conductors are laid in a pipe line lled with oil under high pressure in which the conductors and their insulation are submerged, saidjoint comprising incombination an enclosing casing secured liquid tight to the cable pipes, barrier plates within the casing, each barrier plate being provided with a rearward extension ot the same outside diameter as the cable pipe line and disposed concentric therewith, an expansion joint securing the extension of each barrier plate liquid tight to the cable pipes, said barrier plates being provided with thimbles for receiving the conductors which are to be joined wtihin said casing, that part of the insulation of each conductor which passes through the thimbles being provided with a soft metal impervious length of sheath, a wipe joint uniting each sheath to its thimble, oil within the joint casing, and valve controlled pipes, one end of each of which enters the joint casing at one side of the barrier plates and the other end the pipe line, thereby to maintain the oil within the joint casing at the same high pressure as the oil within the pipe line.

3. A joint for high tension electric cables of the type in which the insulated cable conductors are laid in a pipe line filled with oil under high pressure in which the conductors and their insulation are submerged, said joint comprising in combination an enclosing casing secured liquid tight to the cable pipes, barrier plates within the casing, each barrier plate being provided with a rearward extension of the same outside diameter as the pipe line and disposed concentric therewith, an expansion joint securing the extension of each barrier plate liquid tight to the pipe line, said barrier plate being provided with thimbles each or" which has a tapered bore for receiving the cable conductors which are to be passed therethrough and joined to each other within said casing, that part of the insulation of each conductor which passes through the thimbles being provided with a length of impervious soft metal impervious sheath terminating a short distance away fromthe said thimbles, reinforcing fabric about said sheath, the cable being jammed into the thimble, and a Wipe joint uniting the forward end of each sheath to a corresponding thimble, said construction preventing the free flow of oil from the cable pipe line into the joint casing exterior to the insulation of the cable while permitting of the slow seepage of oil through the insulation oi the cable conductors from one side of the barrier plates to the other.

4. In combination a pipe line filled with oil under high pressure, insulated conductors within the pipe line submerged in said oil, the cable pipe line being of sufficiently large internal diameter to permit of free movement of the insulated conductors therein relatively to each other, a joint in the pipe line comprising an enclosing casing, barrier plates within the casing secured liquid tight to the casing, expansion joints connecting the barrier plates liquid tight to the cable pipe line, thimbles carried by said barrier plates for receiving in a substantially liquid tight manner the insulated conductors which are to be joined within said casing, iiexible pipes at each end of the joint casing, one end of each of said pipes com-` municating with the interior of the joint casing at one side of the barrier plates, the other end communicating with the pipe line at the other side of the barrier plates, and oil lling the joint casing.

- FRED C. MEYER.

GEORGE E. MOFFII'I. 

